Last week, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) was honored for its sustainability efforts and named the industry leader in the Computers & Peripherals and Office Electronics Industry on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World index. HPE was one of only 24 companies worldwide to be named an industry leader, and only two companies from the United States made that prestigious list, the other was Abbott Laboratories in the Health Care Industry.

“We are proud to have been recognized as the Industry Leader for the prestigious DJSI World Index for the first time” said Lara Birkes, Chief Sustainability Officer at HPE. “This is a particularly rewarding honor as it reflects the growing demand from investors, customers and external stakeholders for multi-national companies to put sustainability at the heart of their business strategy.”

HPE was one of 3,400 companies invited to participate. RobecoSAM analyzes industry-specific questions focusing on economic, environmental and social factors, and provides companies with scores across various dimensions. Many of the elements evaluated are under-researched in conventional financial analysis.

“HPE continues the legacy of our founders through our strong sustainability performance, as we continue to prioritize economic, environmental and social aspects in our business strategies,” Birkes said. “The company has performed exceptionally well in the areas of labor practices and human rights, as well as in privacy protection, underpinning its commitment to employee and customer welfare.”

“Our respected Supply Chain Responsibility (SCR) program evolves continually, equipping us to meet our commitments and alerting us to new risks” said Leslie Collins, Global Manager of Supply Chain Responsibility for HPE. “The program empowers and protects the rights of workers who are making and delivering our world class products, services, and solutions. Through our conflict minerals program, our SCR approach extends to tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold at the very beginning of our supply chain. It also addresses environmental impacts in our supply chain, including energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, waste, and water.”

RobecoSAM characterizes the computers & peripherals and office electronics industry as one of disruptive innovations, vertical integration of the supply chain, and mass production of electronic hardware. The effective implementation of environmental management systems and the monitoring of supplier compliance in areas such as the use of hazardous materials and fair working conditions of suppliers are particularly relevant for HPE.

HPE was honored with the highest industry score globally in five DJSI sections: Corporate Governance, Innovation Management, Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy, Digital Inclusion and Labor Practice Indicators and Human Rights. We also had very strong scores in Code of Business Conduct, Supply Chain Management, Tax Strategy and Product Stewardship.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, launched in 1999, are the longest-running global sustainability benchmarks in the world and are known as the key reference point in sustainability investing for investors and companies. This was the first year that HPE was named an Industry Leader, but it is our fifth consecutive year on the DJSI Global Index and the sixth consecutive year on the DJSI North American Index as Hewlett-Packard Company. For the World Index, the DJSI ranks the top 10 percent of the 2,500 largest companies on the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index. For the North America Index, DJSI ranks the top 20 percent of the 600 largest U.S. and Canadian companies on the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index.